Neon tube operating mechanism



March 20, 1956 R. E. DAVIES 2,739,267

NEON TUBE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 10, 1952 IN V EN TOR. F j Exam/20 DAVIE-5.

KL QQM g 9140M United States Patent 0.

NEON TUBE OPERATING MECHANISM Richard E. Davies, Williams, Ariz.-, assignor to Clean Products, Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.

Application October 10, .1952, Serial No; 314,157

2 Claims. (Cl. 315-212) This application is" a" continuationdn part of Patent Number 2,703,851 issued'March8', 1955.

This invention pertains to neonitub'e operating; mecha nisrn, and is particularlydirectedto improved apparatus for progressively illuminating" and extinguishing a series of neon tubes with novel operatingmechanism which particularly protects the power transformer for the neon tube.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved and simplified operating mechanism for pro gressively lighting and extinguishing a plurality of neon tubes.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved control switch gear for progressively lighting and extinguishing a group of neon tubes in which there are a minimum number of operating parts and mechanism utilized.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for progressively illuminating a series of neon tubes then extinguishing said tubes either progressively or instantaneously while at the same time protecting the operation and efiiciency of the power transformer for the neon tubes.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a simplified and improved control apparatus for successively illuminating different neon tubes to give the effect of a rise and fall of the light in the array of tubes from zero to maximum and return, or to instantly extinguish all of said tubes at the conclusion of the successive lighting of said tubes.

Further features and advantages of this invention will appear from a detailed description of the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a neon tube operating mechanism incorporating the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 33 of 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 44 of 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5-5 of 6 is a fragmentary section on the line 66 of 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 77 of As illustrative of an embodiment of this invention there is shown in Fig. l a neon tube operating mechanism comprising a main frame member 10 to which is fixed a series of insulated supports or pedestals 11 upon which are mounted the contact bars 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. Bars 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are each connected respectively to one terminal of the series of neon tubes 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d and 24e through the leads 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23. The other terminals of the neon tubes are all connected through the cominon lead 18 to the bar 12. Also mounted "ice on the frame. member; 10 on suitable journal bearings 25, 26'and-27 carried on insulated supports 28 is therotating operating shaft 29 which is connected through a suitable insulated coupling 30 to a drive motor 31 pref erably'mounted on the-frame member 10.

Fixed in various rotary indexed positions on the shaft 29, as-best seen inFigs. 2 through.7 inclusive, are a series of contact arms 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 and'41 each terminating intheir outer ends in arcuate surfaces 42 which nicely slidingly contact or rotate in very close proximity to the edges 43 of the contact bars 12 through 17 inclusive, thusv providing .a series of proximity switches for the neon tubes.

The drive motor 31 is connected through suitable leads 44=to a suitable source ofA; C.. power supply such as the lines- L1andL2. The. lines L1 .and L2 are alsoconnectedto the primary. winding 45.0f a high potential transformer-46. The secondary winding47 of, the transformer 46-has'one lead 48 connected to the contact bar 12, and its. other lead 49 connectedelectrically through the journal bearing 25 directly. to the:rod 29 so that the contact arms 32 through 41 are electrically connected through the lead 49 to the secondary winding 47.

With the motor 31 operating and the rod 29 rotating clockwise, in this particular example as indicated by the arrow 50, contact arm 33 rotates into position with its arcuate surface 42 coming in engagement or electrical proximity contact with the bar 13 so as to then complete a circuit to energize neon tube 240 connected between the leads 18 and 19. Continued rotation of the shaft 29 by the motor 31 then brings contact arm 34 into engagement with contact bar 14 while contact arm 33 has its arcuate surface arranged to remain in contact with bar 13 so that neon tubes 24a and 24b both remain lighted. This procedure continues adding tubes 24c and 24d and finally tube 24e to completely illuminate all the tubes when contact arm 37 rotates into electrical contact position with the contact bar 17 at the top of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to progressively extinguish the series of tubes 242 to 24a, contact arm 37 leaves its contact bar 17 While contact arm 38 remains electrically engaged with contact bars 16 to thus cut out the tube 242 and allow the remaining tubes to continue to operate. The neon tubes are then progressively extinguished by progressive disconnection of the contact arms 39, 40 and 41 with their respective contact bars connected to the neon tubes as described.

As contact arm 41 leaves the contact bar 13 a final shortout arm 32 comes into electrical engagement with the bar 12 so as to provide a dead short across the secondary winding 47 of the transformer and thus provide a momentary complete extinguishment of all the neon tubes after which continued rotation of the rod 29 by the motor 31 again repeats the cycle with contact arm 33 again contacting bar 13 and so on as described.

It is to be also understood that the various arms may be so arranged that each neon tube of the series may be progressively lighted and extinguished or progressively lighted and held until all have been lighted and the complete series are burning, and then after a predetermined desired interval of time contact arm 32 is engaged with bar 12 to extinguish all tubes instantly while at the same time preventing disconnection of load from the secondary winding 47. The contact between arm 32 and bar 12 may continue until the other arms are ready to repeat the progressive lighting cycle again.

It is to be clearly noted that in this structure there are no moving mechanical parts other than the simple rotation of the shaft 29 with its contact arms rigidly fixed Patented Mar. 20, 1956 thereto and their appropriately arranged arcuate surfaces 42 which rotate by in close proximity to their respective contact bars so that actually there are few wearing or moving surfaces to get out of engagement or proper adjustment. Further, by utilizing this system there is no noise whatever involved except the normal rotation of the motor 31 which sound is insignificant so far as the proper adaptation and use of the device is concerned in any type of application and location. Thus there has been provided a highly eificient improved and simplified switching gear operating mechanism for progressively lighting and extinguishing a series of neon tubes.

Having thus fully set forth and described this invention what is claimed is:

1. A switching means for selectively and sequentially energizing a plurality of neon discharge tubes comprising a plurality of fixed contact bars with one bar only con-' nected to one terminal of a secondary winding of an alternating current power supply transformer and the remaining bars connected in series each with a neon tube to said one terminal of said transformer, a plurality of rotatively mounted angularly spaced contact arms operatively positioned adjacent said bars all connected to the other terminal of said secondary of said transformer, and drive means for simultaneously rotating said contact arms.

2. A switching means for selectively and sequentially energizing a plurality of neon discharge tubes comprising a plurality of fixed contact bars connected in series each through a neon tube to one terminal of a secondary winding of an alternating current power supply transformer, a fixed short-circuiting contact bar directly connected to said one terminal of the secondary winding of said transformer, a rotatable shaft electrically connected to the other terminal of said secondary Winding, a plurality of rotatable angularly spaced contact arms fixed in electrical contact on said shaft, arcuate surfaces on the outer ends of said contact arms rotatable in electrically conductive proximity to all of said bars, and a motor energizable to rotate said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,906,046 Chromy Apr. 25, 1933 1,939,019 Ouriefi Dec. 12, 1933 2,075,188 Foerste Mar. 30, 1937 2,150,902 Van Bain Mar. 21, 1939 2,295,869 Seaman Sept. 15, 1942 2,594,357 Seaman Apr. 29, 1952 

